The Hunger Games: The Alternate Story
by avij14
Summary: What if the Third Quarter Quell was different? What if Snow didn't send in previous victors, but found a different way of discouraging the citizens from following Katniss Everdeen? What if everything happened, but differently? Well, why don't we take a look at a different world of Panem? My name is Aviana Jennison, and I am the victor of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games. *Ch 6 UPDATE
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

Imagine the Hunger Games, and everything in them. But what if the Third Quarter Quell was different? What if Snow didn't send in previous victors, but found a different way of discouraging the citizens from following Katniss Everdeen? What if everything happened, but differently? Well, why don't we take a look at a different world of Panem? My name is Aviana Jennison, and I am the victor of the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games.

I am from District 12, the same district as Katniss. I never really knew her personally, but I knew of her, and I always admired her. Peeta, on the other hand, was a close friend of mine. We would have playdates as kids, and we remained close through high school. We never saw each other in a romantic way, but we always could rely on each other as someone who would bear each other's burdens. He was among my closest of four friends of mine.

About a month before the seventy-fourth Games, a fire destroyed my home, leaving me and my little sister, Abriella "Bri", orphaned. After the fire we moved in with my friend, Danielle, and her mom, Ms. Robin, and her younger sister, Klarissa. That's the way it had always been.

I remember the reaping of the seventy-fourth games very clearly. I remember when Prim was reaped and Katniss volunteered. I remember being shocked when they called Peeta's name, and watching one of my closest friends walk to potentially his death. I kept away the tears when I went to say goodbye, but lost it when I realized that his father and mother were the only others to join me.

I remember watching those games anxiously, glued to the transparent screen, even as my adoptive family bustled around me. I remember the announcement that two tributes could win if they were from the same district. I remember when Katniss found Peeta, and they officially teamed up. I remember the romantic show Peeta had with his childhood crush. Even if Katniss only viewed it as a show for the cameras, I knew Peeta was soaking it in, as he thought he wouldn't be able to walk out of that arena alive. I remember the medicine healing his leg, and the showdown with Cato. I remember the rule reverse, and the nightlock berries. And I remember when both Katniss and Peeta were crowned victors.

But I also remember what Katniss's defiance caused, certainly in 12, and I'm sure in the other districts as well. Something had sparked within the hearts of many within Panem. And I knew that it wouldn't have set well with President Snow. And this set the stage for what the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games would become.


	2. Chapter 1: The Tour

**A/N: Hey everyone! So this is the beginning of my first Hunger Games fic! I hope you guys enjoy it! But before we got too much into the story, I wanted to give you some basic information about the story before I dive in!**

 **I had written the Prologue first, as to give you a small sneak peek as to the overall story; along with revealing many of the non-book characters that will play major rolls in my stories. Of course, feel free to PM me any questions you may have. Just be fully aware, I'm not giving away any spoilers! ;)**

 **This story will end up being broken down into a couple different; longer fics; similar to how I set up my National Treasure fics. Almost similar to the Hunger Games books; and in fact, there will probably end up being three "book fics". Of course, we had the Prologue as the first chapter. But from here on out, the first book is going to cover the events that occurred in Catching Fire; from the Victory Tour until the bombing of District 12. Of course, as this is an alternate story line, how those events happen will be different. But for the most part, the same main events will happen.**

 **The second book fic will cover Mockingjay; from the events directly after the bombing of District 12 until the end of the rebellion. And my version of Mockingjay will most likely veer almost completely from the original story line. Many of the characters will remain the same, some won't. But many different events will happen in my version of Mockingjay that didn't happen in the actual book; and vice versa.**

 **And lastly, we'll have an Epilogue story. I would like it to actually be long enough to be a story by itself. However, it will be quite a while before I get there, so if I'm burned out on writing, it may just end up becoming an epilogue as the last chapter of Mockingjay. But of course, I could always come back and write the full story again later :)**

 **As I said before; feel free to PM me any questions you may have :)**

* * *

Chapter 1

It was in the beginning of January when the Victory Tour was scheduled to begin. I remember going down to the bakery a few hours before Katniss and Peeta were due to leave. Peeta was still there, finishing up his last few responsibilities so he could get ready for the tour.

He smiled when I walked in. "What can I get for you today, Avi?" he asked.

I smiled back at him. "Just wanted to say hi to a friend before he has his tour," I replied. I paused for a minute, before remembering the offer Ms. Robin had mentioned to me. "Do you want to come back to my place for lunch before you meet up with Katniss? Ms. Robin was cooking when I left."

He didn't even hesitate. "Of course!" he responded. "Ms. Robin can cook better than I can bake! How can I pass that up?"

We both laughed as I said, "Well let's get going then!"

It was kind of quiet as we began to walk back to my house. Peeta appeared to be deep in thought as we were walking. I looked over at him and asked, "How have things been with you guys since the Games?"

"Lonely," Peeta replied, trying not to look at me. "My family refused to move with me into the Victors' Village. So the only time I have a chance to see them is at the bakery. My father is rarely ever there, my brothers never are, since they started working in the mines. And my mother is usually up there with me, but she usually avoids me at all costs. Like I'm some sort of disappointment to her or something." He sighed as I looked over at him sadly, glancing ahead to see we were almost to my house. He took another deep breath before stating, "I hoped that, if nothing else, these games would have maybe made my mother proud, or if nothing else, at least notice me. But if anything, they seem to have made things worse." He stopped walking, and looked at me with sad eyes before looking down at the ground. "Sometimes I wish that Cato had just snapped my neck like he threatened to. Then I wouldn't be so alone, and at least my mother would have had a legitimate reason to be disappointed in me."

I looked at him before throwing my arms around him and embracing him, and he hugged me back, burying his face in my hair. I didn't have to say anything; just the silent reassurance that I was there, and he didn't have to be alone was enough. After a minute or two, I softly said, "Let's go inside and eat." He nodded and pulled away, and I softly smiled at him as I lead the way inside.

"I was wondering if you two would ever get here!" Ms. Robin said as Peeta and I walked inside. "Lunch is just about ready!" She was standing at the stove, about to pull freshly baked rolls from the oven to compliment the soup she was making for lunch.

"Sorry Ms. Fleming," Peeta began. "We started talking and kind of lost track of time."

"It's alright, Peeta," Ms. Robin said smiling. "But how many times do I have to tell you, you can call me Ms. Robin." Peeta smiled and nodded as we sat at the table. Ms. Robin handed us spoons as she called, "Danielle, Klarissa! Lunch is ready!" She sat spoons by Klarissa and Danielle's place mats as she placed a toddler spoon in front of Bri's high chair. She grabbed a few bowls and began filling them with soup, before handing Peeta and I each a bowl of soup and a buttered roll.

Before we could even take our first bite, we're interrupted by a shrill, "Eeta! Eeta!" coming from little one-year-old Bri. Peeta got up and turned to see Bri running towards him, arms open wide. Peeta scooped her up, spun her around, and gave her a hug, Bri giggling in delight.

"How's my favorite one-year-old?" Peeta asked, still holding Bri. Bri simply smiled and giggled at him, before turning and pointing at her high chair. "You ready to eat?" Peeta asked as Bri smiled at him. He took the tray off the chair, and placed her in it, strapping her in, and putting the tray back on.

I looked up and smiled as Danielle and Klarissa walked in. Danielle smiled back at me, and glanced over at Peeta. "Hey Peeta," she said in her usual tone.

"Hey Danielle," he said glancing up as she smiled at him. "Hey Klarissa," he said as Klarissa walked by him. She stopped and gave him a hug before sitting down at her place at the table. Peeta sat back down as well as Ms. Robin finally sat down with her lunch. We sat and talked over lunch, talking to Peeta about what the tour would be like, and different things about the districts he had seen. As we finished lunch, Ms. Robin excused herself from the table to put away the leftover food, while Klarissa started dishes and Danielle cleaned up Bri.

Peeta and I continued to talk for almost an hour, Danielle joining us once Bri was down for her nap. Then he glanced at the clock and realized the time. "The cameras are going to be here in an hour, I need to go over to Haymitch's house!" He quickly gave me and Danielle a hug before heading to the door. He opened the door, and turned to us and said, "Love you guys. And thanks for lunch!"

"You're welcome, Peeta," I said as he smiled and walked out, shutting the door behind him. And so he and Katniss headed for their Victory Tour, six months before the reaping would take place for the next Hunger Games. And though I knew I would still be in the reaping for another two games, I never expected the results that happened in the Third Quarter Quell.


	3. Chapter 2: The Announcement

Chapter 2

It was six months after the Victory Tour, and things had begun to get bad here in 12. There had been a new head peacekeeper placed in charge; and he wasn't entirely peaceful. He had the market places annihilated, people whipped and executed needlessly, and we were under curfew; with anyone caught after dark without a peacekeeper escort would be shot on sight. Ms. Robin and Danielle were forced to work or threatened to be executed; so they began working alongside Mrs. Everdeen and Prim as doctors. I mostly stayed home with Klarissa and Bri, almost never seeing Ms. Robin and Danielle with their long shifts. I rarely saw Peeta, but with food becoming scarce for us, he would sneak food to us whenever he could, but that was becoming progressively more dangerous for him to do by the day.

It was about a week before the reaping was to take place. It was a Sunday, so Ms. Robin and Danielle were off work; so we always made it a point to spend time with each other those days. That night, however, was different. There was going to be a special announcement at 7 that evening. I wasn't exactly sure what it was for, but Ms. Robin had looked worried all day.

Shortly after dinner, Danielle was finishing cleaning the kitchen when the translucent screen came to life in the living room. I scooped up Bri as the rest of us all gathered on the couch to listen to the announcement.

President Snow had been announced and began walking to the podium. The elderly man, with snow white hair and a beard to match, he almost was reminiscent of a loving grandfather, or even Santa Claus. But there was always something eerie to me about him.

He raised his hand to calm the clapping crowd. He paused before beginning, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the seventy-fifth year of the Hunger Games. It was written in the charter of the Games that every twenty-five years, there would be a Quarter Quell to keep fresh, for each new generation the memory of those who died in the uprising against the Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of a special significance. And now, on this day, the seventy-fifth anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the Third Quarter Quell." People began to clap as I looked nervously at Danielle and Ms. Robin, subconsciously clutching a now sleeping Bri. I looked back up at the screen as Snow continued, "As a reminder, that the rebels were fighting brother against brother, and sister against sister, on this, the Third Quarter Quell Games, each male and female tribute, from each district, must choose one of their siblings to join them in the Hunger Games." My heart dropped as I glanced down at Bri, and then to Klarissa and Danielle, before I looked back to Ms. Robin. Snow continued about how the sibling could be of any age, but had to be of the same gender as the tribute, but it didn't register in my mind. All I knew is that, if I were chosen, I would have to drag one of my sisters with me, to possibly her death.

I glanced outside, and noticed that it was still light out, and light enough that I could make it to my destination before nightfall. I handed Bri off to Danielle and raced out the door, needing to be away from the people I would be faced with choosing from to join me if I were reaped. I needed to be with the only person I knew would understand and I could talk to; Peeta.

It was getting close to curfew when I arrived at the Victors' Village. I ran to his house and began banging on his door. After an agonizing couple of minutes of banging, trying not to draw any outside attention to myself, Peeta opened the door. He stared at me a few seconds, before simply saying, "Avi." He glanced outside before grabbing my arm and saying, "Come in." He pulled me hurriedly into the house before shutting the door and locking it. He turned to me and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I had to get out of that house," I said a little choked. "I can't stay in the house with the people I would betray if I'm chosen."

"Avi, you don't know if you'll be reaped-"

"Yeah, but I do know the odds aren't exactly in my favor." I sighed and swallowed in a desperate attempt to keep the tears back.

Peeta looked confused before looking me square in the face and asking, "How many times has your name been in there?"

"I lost count," I said as the first tear trailed down my cheek. "When it was becoming too dangerous for you to bring us food, I had to do something." I looked away, "I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything, Prim was chosen last year. But I do know that the playing field has narrowed."

I felt a hand my shoulder, "Hey, it's going to be ok." I looked up at Peeta, and unsuccessfully choked back a sob. He pulled me into a hug, one I graciously returned. He looked out the window to see that the sun had set. "It's too late for you to head home now, you'll be killed."

"What do you want me to do then?" I asked.

"You can say here," Peeta said. "I have a couple of empty bedrooms that you could stay in for the night."

"I won't be an inconvenience for you, will I?" I asked. Peeta smiled and shook his head. I hugged him again and said, "Thank you Peeta." He led the way to one of the bedrooms, and I proceeded to walk over to the bed and crash.

The reaping took place on a Saturday. The night before, Danielle still had to work, though Ms. Robin had been given the day off. I had fallen asleep after going through the routine of Klarissa and me picking out something to wear to the reaping. I was awoken by someone lightly shaking me. I looked up to see Danielle standing over me. She gave a slight smile before saying, "I need to talk to you about something." I looked outside to see it was still dark. She must have just gotten home from work. I looked back at her and nodded sleepily and sat up in bed.

Danielle sat on the end of the bed and began, "I know you're still eligible for the reaping, and also have a sibling of the same gender. And if you are chosen, you would have to choose between Klarissa and I who would join you in the arena." I nodded looking down as she continued. "And so, if you were to be chosen, I need you to promise me that you would choose me to join you."

I froze. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I looked up at someone who had always been like a sister to me even before she actually was. She had been a rock, a best friend, and my big sister. And she had just asked me to promise to choose her to join me in the Hunger Games if I were to be reaped. Of course I knew that I couldn't choose Klarissa instead of Danielle, and I certainly couldn't choose Bri. But I hadn't truly realized what the choice would entail.

I looked back up at Danielle. I knew I had to promise her, but when I had to form the words, all that would come out were tears. I threw my arms around Danielle and sobbed, with the force of every bit of fear, anxiety, and dread I felt. "I promise," I finally muttered through my sobs. Danielle nodded and hugged me tighter.

She pulled away, and pulled my chin up to where I was looking at her. "You know I love you, right?" she asked.

I nodded as I muttered, "I love you too."

She gave me a small smile as she wiped my tears away. She pulled my head to her chest to where I could hear her heartbeat. "It'll all be ok," Danielle said softly, "I promise." And shortly thereafter, I succumbed to the world of sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: The Reaping

Chapter 3

Reaping day; the day that every kid between 12 and 18 years of age dreads. Everyone was given off work for the day, so Danielle and Ms. Robin were able to join Klarissa and me. They went off to where the parents were standing, while Klarissa and I got signed in. We stood in our places with our age groups. We waited just a few minutes before Effie Trinket came out with her usual introduction. I didn't register anything she said, too absorbed in thought and fear.

"As usual, ladies first," Effie said and I was brought back to reality. I looked back at Danielle, who mouthed "It will be ok." I stared back at Effie to see her draw a card from the bowl. I dug my fingernails into my palms as she slowly unfolded the card.

That's when she read the name off the card. "Aviana Jennison," she said into the microphone, and my heart froze. I don't know how I made it up to that platform, everything was simply a blur. I didn't register the shouts of "No!" from Klarissa, or the shouts of "Ana!" from Bri. Only one thought was going through my mind; I was going to fight in the Hunger Games.

I was snapped back to reality as Effie asked me, "Choose a sister to join you as tribute, dear." I immediately locked eyes with Danielle. _No_ , I thought, _no, no, no._

I shakily stepped up to the microphone and took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, and before I would allow myself to think, I blurted out, "Danielle Fleming." I stepped away from the microphone, turned my back to the audience, and buried my face in my hands, and began shaking with sobs, it taking everything in me not to collapse to the floor. All I remember after that was Danielle wrapping her arms around me and a tear falling into my hair.

The next thing I remember is being brought into this room with Danielle. Danielle knelt down in front of me, and started to say something when a door opened and a peacekeeper say, "You have 5 minutes." I turned around and saw Klarissa and Ms. Robin walk in, Bri being on Ms. Robin's hip.

I immediately pulled Klarissa into a hug. "I'm so sorry," is all I could say to her. I then walked over to Ms. Robin and hugged her as Danielle took Bri. "Thank you for taking me in, and taking care of Bri. And I'm so sorry." I then took Bri from Danielle and held her close. She didn't pull away from me, she simply returned the hug. She seemed to know that something serious was happening.

I turned when Klarissa said, "You guys need to try and win. You could do what Katniss and Peeta did last year." I looked at Danielle who looked back up at me with a look of dread.

She knelt down in front of Klarissa and gently held her wrists. "Baby, that's not going to happen. The Capitol wasn't happy about it last time, and they aren't going to make the same mistake again."

Klarissa shook her head and said, "No, no!" Danielle pulled her into a hug and whispered something to her, as I hugged Ms. Robin again, still holding Bri. I saw Klarissa nod as Danielle wiped her tears away and stood up.

A peacekeeper opened the door and called for Ms. Robin and Klarissa. I hugged and kissed Bri one more time before handing her back to Ms. Robin. She proceeded to turn and reach and squirm for me, yelling, "Ana! Ana!"

I ran over to Danielle crying. She hugged me as I said, "One of us has to make it home. For Klarissa and Bri."

"And one of us will," Danielle said, stroking my hair, "I'll make sure of that."

Then a peacekeeper opened the door and said, "It's time to head to the train."

"No one else is here to say goodbye?" I asked, desperately wanting to say goodbye to Peeta. The peacekeeper shook his head as one grabbed Danielle's arm, and another grabbed mine and lead us to the car that would take us to the train. In the car sat the male tributes and Effie.

"Hello girls," Effie said, giving us a smile as we climbed in. She began rambling on about Capitol stuff and the train and whatnot, but I couldn't hear any of it. All I could think of the fact I was certain that I would never see my best friend again.


	5. Chapter 4: The Train

Chapter 4

Once we boarded the train, we sat in a seating area, which was one of the nicest places I had ever seen. There were four chairs sat out, assuming for the four tributes. There were also three other chairs, for whom, I wasn't sure. Danielle and I sat down, with the male tributes sitting in the chairs next to us. Effie walked by and said, "I'm going to go see if your mentors are ready to come see you." _That must be what the other chairs are for_ , I thought. After few minutes of just staring at the door, lost in thought, the door reopened, and Effie walked out, followed by a clearly drunk Haymitch.

He looked at each one of us and nodded. "Nice bunch we got here, huh Effie?" he asked. He chuckled a little and said, "You're gonna have to forgive me kids, I'm not quite in the best state to mentor in. But I'll be a better mentor in the morning." He began to walk towards the door, but turned around and called out, "You can ask your other two mentors though. They might be able to give you some advice."

No sooner did Haymitch walk through the door did the other two mentors appear. First was Katniss Everdeen, taking a glance at each of us before sitting down in front of us. Then came her fellow victor, and my heart stopped as I realized who our third mentor was.

We locked eyes at the same time, and his jaw dropped a little as you visibly saw the pain in his eyes as he saw who his female tributes were. "Peeta," I said, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Avi," he muttered back at me, looking down and turning his back toward me as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You know her?" Katniss asked, seeing the distraught look on her fiancé's face. Peeta simply nodded as he turned back around to face Danielle and me, his eyes puffy and red. He simply shook his head as he walked over to me, and I stood up and he embraced me, and I returned the hug.

"You and Danielle don't belong here," Peeta said, hugging me a little tighter. I didn't know what to say, and he just simply said, "I'm so, so sorry." He let go of me as he turned to Danielle and hugged her as well, and I could see the tears falling down his face. Once he pulled away from Danielle, he walked out, wanting to be alone after realizing he could lose his best friend in just a week.

"I guess it's just me then," Katniss muttered as she looked over at Danielle, her eyes widening. "I know you," she said pointing at Danielle. "You and your mom helped my mom and sister at the hospital, right?" Danielle nodded. "Danielle's your name, right?" Danielle nodded again. She glanced at me and then back at Danielle. "How do you and your sister know Peeta?" she asked.

I looked down and began, "Peeta and I were best friends since we were little. Longer than he's had a crush on you." I looked up at Katniss who gave me a little smile and I continued, "He used to come over to my house all the time. But then a fire killed my parents and destroyed my house, so I moved in with Danielle and her family, and he just started coming over to their house." I smiled a little before adding, "That's why he was almost late to your Victory Tour. He was at mine and Danielle's house having lunch."

"That explains so much," Katniss said giving a little smile. She paused before asking, "So I guess you were the first to know about Peeta's crush on me?"

I nodded, "I was the only one to know until he told all of Panem." I chuckled a little and looked up at Katniss. "I did tell him later that it was a bad idea to tell the entire nation before you."

Katniss shook her head smiling, "I'll admit, I didn't take it well to being caught off guard."

I looked down and smiled before saying, "I heard." Katniss made a face as she looked back toward the door that Peeta had gone through.

She sighed before getting up out of her chair. "I better go see if he's ok," she said as she made her way through the door.

Dinner was served later that evening. On the table was just about any kind of food you could imagine; from pork, to steak, to chicken, fish, lamb, fruits and vegetables of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I had never seen so much food all in one place in my entire life.

"I wish we could take some of this back to Mom and the girls," Danielle said, gazing at all the food. We stood around the table, soon joined by our fellow tributes, waiting for some instruction as to when we were eating.

Finally, Effie entered the room, greeting everyone with a smile. "Your mentors will be coming shortly. For now, we can begin eating." We sat down at the table and began to help ourselves to the food in front of us. Effie tried to start small talk, but the boys were uninterested, and I had zoned out into my own little world.

I was brought back to reality when the door opened, and Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta all joined us for dinner. "Oh, how nice of you three to join us," Effie said. "I was just getting ready to inform them of what's going to happen tomorrow with their prepping and the Tribute Parade."

"Oh," Katniss chuckled, "being prepped is always fun." She glanced over towards Danielle and me, "You'll be hosed down more times than you ever thought imaginable."

"The purpose," Effie began, raising her voice at Katniss, "is to make sure you're as clean and perfect as possible before you see your design team. Cinna is the one designing your clothes and costumes, though Portia will be the one actually dressing and styling the boys." Effie pointed at Danielle and me and said, "Which means you two, will mostly have Cinna all to yourselves."

Katniss smiled and looked over at us, "You'll love Cinna. He really treated me like a person instead of just some other tribute or a doll he got to dress up. He's one of the kindest people I have ever met. His design team is great too, but he's just awesome." I smiled slightly back at Katniss before wiping my mouth and setting my napkin on my plate.

Before I could excuse myself, Effie spoke up. "Before you go, there is a special coming on with Caesar Flickerman, talking about different Hunger Games and strategies that will come on in half an hour. Be sure that you four are in the entertainment car when it comes on." I nodded as I excused myself and headed in the direction of the entertainment car, followed shortly by Danielle.

The show came on, and Caesar Flickerman, in accompaniment with Claudius Templesmith began talking about previous games and some of the strategies of the victors in those games. They, of course, also began showing clips from prior Hunger Games, and I couldn't stand it. It wasn't that the blood and gore freaked me out. It was more the fact that, in just six short days, I'll have to do those very things. I stayed as long as I could, but eventually, I had to leave. The boys remained engrossed in the special, but I swiftly got up and headed to mine and Danielle's bedroom on the train.

I walked in, and immediately flopped down on the bed, running my fingers through my hair. Shortly thereafter, I heard the door open, but I didn't react to it. I simply continued to stare at the ceiling.

I felt the bed sink as the visitor sat on the edge of the bed. I felt someone gently place their hand on my leg and I heard Danielle's voice softly say, "Hey, are you ok?"

I shook my head, "This is really happening. We are really here. We are really tributes. We are really going to die." Danielle stroked my hair. I still didn't look at her, still transfixed on the ceiling, tears pricking the back of my eyes. "First, Mom and Dad; now this? I'll never see your mom and sister again. I'll never see _Bri_ again…and I'm dragging you with me to your death in the process." Sobs began to rack my body as I covered my face with my hands.

"Come here," Danielle said as she gently scooped me into her arms and held me close. I knew she wanted to say that everything would be ok, but I knew she couldn't bring herself to. Because everything _wouldn't_ be ok. Even if one of us made it out alive, one of us would never see our family again. One of us wouldn't ever be able to grow up and start a family of our own. One of us would still be in that arena; dead.

Danielle pulled my chin up so I was looking at her. Her eyes were red, and she sniffed before saying, "I made this promise to Klarissa, and I'll make this promise to you. I'm going to make sure you make it out alive. Bri needs you, and Klarissa needs a big sister. You will make it out of that arena alive. You will go home."

"But what about you?" I ask, still choking back sobs. "What will happen to you? If I make it out, that means you wi-"

Danielle cut me off. "Don't worry about me. The only thing I'm worried about is getting you out of there alive." I didn't know what else to say. I just hugged her as tight as I could, no longer holding back sobs. Because I knew what this meant. Danielle was preparing to die… _for me_.


	6. Chapter 5: The Parade

Chapter 5

The next morning, we arrived at the Capitol. I remember seeing it for the first time outside the train window, and seeing all the Capitol citizens welcoming us. Once the train had come to a halt, we were ushered to the Tribute Center. There, we were prepped and made ready for our first meeting with our stylists. We were waxed, had our eyebrows plucked, washed down, hair trimmed, all to make sure we would look perfect for the tribute parade.

After being prepped, the table that I had been prepped was rolled into a dark room. Shortly thereafter, Danielle's was brought in too; both of us dressed in only a disposable gown. I didn't say anything to Danielle as I stared up at the ceiling in thought.

A few minutes later, a darker skinned man walked into the room. Danielle and I sat up as he looked at the two of us, then looked down and shook his head. "I can't believe they put you tributes through this," he said. "Choosing a sibling and all." He stuck out his hand, first to me and then to Danielle. "My name is Cinna."

"Aviana."

"Danielle."

Cinna gave us a slight smile, "Nice to meet you both." He looked down again as he sat down in front of us. "I'm so sorry that this happened to the two of you, especially you, Aviana." He glanced over at me for a second before continuing, "I'm here to help you in any way that I can. Even if it's just to vent." Danielle and I slightly smiled as Cinna took a breath and said, "So tonight is the tribute parade. They'll take you out and show you to the world. Normally, the stylists dress their tributes in costumes to represent their districts. But as you guys may have heard, I don't like doing that."

"You're going to make sure we leave an impression?" Danielle asked.

"Exactly," Cinna said. "You guys need sponsors. This is the perfect way to get them." He stood up, and said, "They have already put you through enough. Why make it worse by dressing you up like little Barbie dolls in stupid costumes." Danielle and smiled back at him as he took one of our hands and said, "Let's get to work."

Though we were on somewhat of a time crunch, Cinna and his team worked thoroughly to make sure we were ready for the parade. Nothing was left undone; hair, makeup, jewelry, clothes. Eventually, he took us to this basement underneath the Tribute Center. There we saw the other tributes, along with the horses and chariots that would carry us through the parade. Each district had two chariots this year, to accommodate for the extra tributes. Cinna had taken Danielle and me aside, while Portia talked to the boys.

"Right before you guys come out," Cinna began, "I'm going to light your suits up. They're going to look like they're burning, but I promise you, you won't feel a thing. And your hair won't catch on fire either."

"That's a relief!" I said chuckling.

Cinna smiled as he glanced over at Portia and said, "Let's load you guys up. You're ready." And so Danielle and I climbed up onto our chariot at the back of the line. I glanced over at the boys from our district before looking back up at Danielle, who gave me a small smile.

"You ready?" she asked me calmly.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied with a small sigh. Danielle grasped my hand before I glanced up to see that the first chariots were on their way out. It wasn't long before I felt a jerk on the chariot as our horses began moving. We began moving through this tunnel on our way out to where the parade was. Toward the end of the tunnel, I noticed Cinna standing there, watching us. I looked at him, and he gave me a nod as our dresses lit up. I glanced down at them in shock, before I looked up and saw that we were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of people in the stands.

Danielle began waving to the crowd and smiling. She glanced down at me, realizing I was just gloomily looking around, and nudged me. "Don't be shy," she said. Though she was smiling, I could see the hurt and hatred in her eyes for what was happening. "We have to make sponsors somehow." Grudgingly, I began to smile and wave to the crowd as they all began cheering for us.

We grew closer to the platform that President Snow was standing on. The horses began lining themselves up in order based on their districts. As we began to finish off the chariots to line up, I noticed President Snow standing up and stepping up to his podium. Once our chariot had stopped, he paused before raising his hand to calm the crowd.

"Welcome!" He shouted into the mic, causing the crowd to completely silence. "Welcome! Tributes, we welcome you! And we salute, your courage, and your sacrifice." He paused as the crowd cheered again. He then continued, "And we wish you, Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." He smiled down at us as the chariots, one by one, began to move back down towards the Tribute Center basement.


	7. Chapter 6: The Training

Chapter 6

Once back to the Tribute Center, we dismounted our chariots as handlers came to take care of the horses. It wasn't long before Effie, Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, along with Cinna and his team began walking towards us. "That was perfect," Cinna said as they all stood around their tributes.

"It's like Katniss and Peeta all over again," Effie said. I saw Katniss turn and glare at Effie with almost a little bit of hurt, and Peeta reach his hand up and rub her back, trying to calm her down.

I could sense she was going to make some sort of comment before Haymitch cleared his throat. I turned my attention to him as he said, "Let's go upstairs." I noticed that something had caught his eye. As everyone began following him upstairs, I turned around and briefly made eye contact with one of the tributes from District 2. Though they turned away almost as soon as I turned to look at them, I knew they had been staring at us. And it wasn't just a normal, "get a view of your competition" stare. It was almost like the stare a tiger gives toward its prey.

Effie began leading the way as she began, "Each district gets their own floor. And since you guys are from District 12, you get the pent house!" We walked onto the elevator as Effie selected our floor number. After a short elevator ride to the top floor, the doors opened to reveal our living quarters for the next 5 days. I was in shock and awe. The rooms themselves were almost as big as my house. And they were all decorated so beautifully. I had never seen something so extravagant and beautiful in my entire life.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Effie said with a smile. She pointed to a hallway and said, "Your rooms are right over here. You will be sharing with your siblings, if that isn't a problem?" Danielle and I shook our heads, and I believe the boys did too. "Perfect," Effie said. "Why don't you get washed up before dinner?" I nodded as I walked into the bedroom. It was huge, with a huge window, a ginormous bed, and an elegant bathroom attached. I was simply in awe. After a little nudge from Danielle, I began ridding my face of the makeup from the parade. I changed into some pajamas before making my way back to the dining room.

I was the last person to make it to the table. I sat down and began helping myself to the food before me. Katniss and Peeta told us that we would begin training tomorrow, and I simply nodded, ready to finish eating so I could go to bed. I was ready to put this day behind me.

The following day we were up early to head to training. Haymitch warned us not to show off our strengths yet, and to just focus on learning survival skills. But above all, he said to make sure to watch the other tributes. It would be important to pin point what their strengths would be, along with their weaknesses.

He also explained to us about the Career tributes; the ones from Districts 1 and 2. He made it a point that we should watch them closely. They would be the most lethal in the arena; and the most likely to kill one of us.

I made sure to listen in on anything regarding survival skills and practiced them. Though I knew how to set traps and start fires, along with putting them out, I made sure to practice my skill and listen to any advice the supervisors had. Besides that, I often would find my own little corner and practice shooting. Danielle had always said that I did well with a bow and arrow, and I assumed that it would be the best skill to practice for the arena. And by the end of our two training days, I could hit my target with almost 100% accuracy.

Danielle, on the other hand, had a different training strategy. Though she too spent a lot of time on honing different survival skills, she often made it a point to practice her combat skills with her knife in front of the other tributes. I wasn't sure exactly why she chose to do that, but I didn't question her too much. She definitely did gain the respect of some of the careers, even those slightly older than her.

On the last day before our evaluations, however, something happened. I was training in my corner when I heard the careers begin to approach. I lowered my bow and turned as the boy from District 2 knocked the bow from my hand, sending it flying across the room. I looked back at him shocked, before turning again to my bow and arrow.

"Aren't you going to get that?" he asked. I glared at him as I turned to retrieve it, only to be tripped and knocked to the ground by the tribute's brother. He jumped on top of me, trying to pin me down as I desperately tried to get away.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled at them, looking around and realizing that no one could see what was taking place. I was alone to deal with these tributes alone.

"No one is going to hear you," the brother jeered. "We'll just have a little fun, and we'll be on our way." He pinned me down, but before he could do anything else, he was shoved off of me. Before I had a chance to think, I looked over and saw Danielle, who had him pinned down a few feet away.

She pulled out a knife and held it to his throat. "You leave my sister alone, are we clear? And if anyone tells anyone of this incident, I want you to fully understand that you'll be dead the second we enter that arena. Are we clear?" They nodded and took off as Danielle released them. She looked over at me and asked, "Are you ok?" I nodded as she hugged my shaking form. Though there may have seemed that no one had seen the incident, I worry that this event could put Danielle in danger.

The evaluation day came. We were told to make sure we showed the sponsors everything we had, and made sure they remembered us. Danielle and I were to go last, as we were from District 12, and the boys were to go first.

I was the first of the two of us to go though. The sound of my name being called over the intercom sent waves of fear and dread over me. I started to stand up, but Danielle grabbed my hand. I looked back at her, and she smiled at me and said, "You got this, Avi. Leave them speechless." I gave her a small smile in return as she let go of my hand and I made my way into the evaluation room. Before me was a bow and arrows, along with three targets, and oddly enough, some bowls of paint. I glanced at the targets and noticed that they were about half way between me and the wall. I glanced at the paint and got an idea.

Without the sponsors noticing me, I grabbed the bowls of paint and went over to the wall. I quickly painted three extra targets in between the targets I was supposed to hit. Once done, I came back over; I stood in front of the sponsors and firmly said, "Aviana Jennison, District 12." They all turned and focused their attention on me. I picked up the bow and the first arrow. I pulled back the bow, aimed, and hit the first target directly in the center of the chest. I repeated this for the other two targets. I turned to grab a fourth arrow, and glanced up as the game maker, Plutarch Heavansbee looked confused. I aimed again, and released my arrow. I hit the target that I had painted on the wall directly on point. I repeated this for the other two painted targets. Out of arrows, I turned to the sponsors and bowed, before placing my bow back on the rack and walked out of the room.

Later that night, everyone was gathered in the living room to hear the ratings for the tributes; Cinna, Portia, Effie, Haymitch, Peeta, Katniss, and of course, their tributes.

"As you know," Caesar said as the screen came to life, "the tributes were rated on a scale from 1 to 12 after three days of careful evaluation." I anxiously watched as he listed all the tributes, knowing Danielle and I would be at the very end of the list. Of course, the Careers always scored high. There were a few others that scored high, but not many that scored above a 7, outside of the Careers. Then came our tributes. The boys came in at 5 and 7.

"From District 12, Aviana Jennison," Caesar glanced at his card before placing it on his desk, "with a score of…8." Everyone congratulated me, and I smiled a little, knowing that was the same score that Peeta had gotten.

"Good job, kiddo!" Danielle said giving me a smile.

"And finally," Caesar began again. I sat up again, glued to the screen, almost as anxious as I was to hear my own score. "From District 12, Danielle Fleming. With a score of…12." Everyone gasped in the room, and though they congratulated Danielle, I was a little concerned. The Capitol officials weren't too happy with Katniss when she shot the apple during her evaluation, hence giving her a high score to almost label her a target. What did Danielle do to get her a perfect score? Or did standing up for me make her a target?


	8. Chapter 7: The Last Day

Chapter 7

Shortly after the score announcements, we sat down for dinner. Haymitch had taken Katniss and Peeta over to the side to talk to them, but they joined us about half way through dinner.

Haymitch cleared his throat. "Tomorrow is the last day we get to work with our tributes. So you four are going to be split up, the girls will go with Katniss, and the boys with Peeta. You guys will need to be up early, since you will still need time for Portia and Cinna to get you four ready for your interviews. Tomorrow is really the last day to ask any questions you may have. Make it count."

I nodded slowly. I could feel the dread hit me as I realized I only had one day left before the games. I felt the back of my eyes prick with tears. I furiously blinked them away.

"Are you ok?" I heard Danielle ask.

I shook my head slightly. "Excuse me," I said, wiping my mouth with my napkin and leaving the table. I sat down in the corner of one of the windows in the living room; a place where no one could see me. I just stared out the window for a little while. I was so _scared_. How could I be fighting in the Hunger Games in just a few days? How could I be on the cusp of not only possibly losing my own life, but possibly losing Danielle? I drew in a shaky breath, letting the tears fall down my face.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a little, and looked up to see who it was. "Peeta," I whispered, throwing my arms around him and resting my head on his chest.

He gave me a slight squeeze. "I know," he said, his voice a little strained. "I know you're scared. It's one of those things that happens so fast, you really don't have time to think or process what's going on. One second, you're living your life, the next you're thrown into an arena to fight to the death. A week is not enough time to prepare yourself for that; even if it's just mentally." He sniffed a little, "And you have higher stakes than I did. Obviously, we both could have lost our life, but in terms of people we cared about, I was just possibly going to lose my childhood crush. Granted, we're engaged now, but I didn't know that at the time. I would have died for Katniss for sure, but I didn't even know her that well until during and after the games. You're being faced with the prospect of losing your sister…your big sister at that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"How could Snow do this?" I said, almost choking on my words through the tears. "He can't just rip families apart. This destroys people. How can he do this?" Peeta gave me a slight squeeze. I wished he could have given me the answer to that question; to every question I had for that matter. But I knew he was at just of a loss as I was. I eventually ran out of tears to cry and resting my head on Peeta's chest and hearing his heartbeat, I slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next day, I woke up in my bed. How I managed to get there, I have no idea. But I didn't have time to focus on that, I had to get ready for training. We met Katniss at 9 in the morning down in the training center. There, Katniss gave us combat tips, and taught us different survival tips that weren't taught the past three days. She gave me some tips on shooting, and showed Danielle some things she could do with her knife.

Eventually, we took a break for lunch before we would be taken to Cinna to be prepared for our interviews. We went back upstairs to our living quarters and sat down at the table.

"You guys are doing great," Katniss said giving a slight smile. "I think one of you could make it through the Games."

"One of us _will_ ," Danielle said, glancing at Katniss before glancing at me. She didn't specify that it would be me, but I knew that's who she meant, and I believe Katniss did too. "One of us needs to get back home to our sisters," she continued. "Klarissa is just a year younger than Prim, I think. And Bri is only one. They need at least one of their big sisters to come home."

I saw Katniss's eyes soften. She saw the same determination in Danielle's eyes that had been in hers. It wasn't just a lustily determination you saw in the Careers. It was a determination to live to protect her little sisters, and then die to ensure my survival. I knew Danielle was prepared. She was ready to fight, but she was also ready to die when the time would come. But I sure wasn't.

Katniss glanced down. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm sorry that you're being put through this." She knew what we were going through. Then behind the sadness and sympathy in her eyes, I saw the same determination that was in Danielle's. Katniss looked over at Danielle, almost as though she made some silent agreement with her.

"We've been looking everywhere for you three!" I heard Effie say from the other end of the room. "Cinna has been waiting to get you girls ready for your interview!" She glanced over at Katniss and said, "Haymitch has requested a meeting with you and Peeta, so I would suggest you go find him before his mood changes!" She glanced back at Danielle and I and said, "Come with me girls." And she lead the way to where Cinna was.

Once we got to Cinna, he presented to us two dresses; a baby blue dress for Danielle, and a hot pink for me. Though slightly different, the dresses were pretty much identical in their basic design. Their differences lied in their unique touches that Cinna added that reflected us as individuals.

"I love them!" Danielle said, smiling at Cinna.

"Well let's see if you love them on you," Cinna said with a smile. He carefully dressed us each, then spending time making sure our hair and makeup was perfect. Then, and only then, did he let us see what the dresses looked like on.

"They're beautiful, Cinna," I said. I couldn't help but smile as I stood in front of the mirror.

"They're a little heavy though," Danielle commented as she took a few steps in hers.

"There is a reason for that," Cinna said. He stood up and walked over to us. "During the interview, I'm going to want both of you girls to spin. I'll be out in the audience. Watch for a cue from me as to when to spin. You'll see then why they're so heavy." He winked at us before looking at his watch. "It's about time. Go knock them dead!"

He lead us over to the line of tributes waiting to be interviewed. Though there were double the number of tributes, the siblings were to be interviewed together to save on time. I became anxious as the line got shorter and shorter. Finally, it was mine and Danielle's turn. We were lead up back stage and waited for Caesar to introduce us.

"Now, from District 12, we have our flaming duo! Aviana Jennison and Danielle Fleming!" We walked out and were greeted by Caesar, who took both of our hands and gently shook them. He gestured for us to sit on the chairs provided as the crowed continued to cheer for us.

The crowd finally quieted as Caesar began, "Your dresses seem to reflect your personalities so well. Your stylist has done an excellent job."

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"Oh don't be shy!" Caesar said and I smiled a little. "And speaking of your stylist, I see that he has continued his legacy of stunning Tribute Parade entrances." He smiled as the crowd cheered. "It was almost like coals burning. Or like a fire burning out. It was very clever."

"Thank you," Danielle said. "But the way I see it, it's more like a fire starting."

"What do you mean?" Caesar asked.

Danielle and I both glanced at Cinna in the audience. He gave us a nod and Danielle said, "Why don't we show you?" The crowd cheered and Caesar gave us a nod. Danielle and I stood on either side of him and began spinning. Our dresses lit on fire and the flame spread up our dress to become a bluish-black. It had feathers on the back, and as we stretched out our arms at Cinna's cue, they revealed wings.

I heard the gasps of the audience as Caesar said, "Oh my gosh! It's like a bird! It's-it's-"

"Like a Mockingjay," Danielle said with confidence.

"Wow," Caesar said, "that was absolutely stunning. Thank you girls." He stepped in between us, grasped our hands, and held them up in the air as he said, "Let's hear it for Aviana Jennison and Danielle Fleming!" And after that, we made our way back stage.

"You both did fabulous!" Effie said as she hugged us both.

"Excellent job girls," Haymitch said with a small smile.

"Thank you," Danielle said giving them a smile. I glanced at the TV screen to see the boys were being interviewed, but I didn't take much notice. I, once again, drifted into my own little world.

A few minutes later, I felt a nudge from Danielle. "Hey, we're going upstairs to get ready for bed," she said softly. I nodded as I followed her upstairs. I went straight to the bathroom and took off the makeup and changed into my pajamas. Danielle was already in bed by the time I was ready, so I just laid down next to her.

She was still awake though. "I love you," I heard her say I rolled over to face her.

"I love you too," I said, giving a small sigh as I broke eye contact.

"Do you need a hug?" Danielle asked. I looked at her, and gave a small nod as I curled up next to her, and she wrapped her arms around me. I laid my head on her chest, feeling secure in my sister's embrace. Hearing her heartbeat, I slowly succumbed to the world of sleep.

I woke up a couple hours later. I looked up at the window, and saw that it was still dark. I tried to fall back to sleep, but my attempts were futile. I rolled over and saw that Danielle wasn't in bed. Confused, I got up and walked outside of the bedroom. I caught a glimpse of a figure sitting in one of the window sills, and satisfied that I found Danielle, I sat in a window of my own, looking out at the city.

I was startled when I heard someone say, "Hey." I looked up and saw Katniss walking towards me. "Can't sleep?" she asked, and I shook my head. "I understand," she said, sitting down across from me. She glanced outside the window before saying, "I can only imagine what you're feeling right now. With possibly losing Danielle and all. Or being ripped away from her. I remember how I felt with Prim."

I nodded slowly, "There is something about having a big sister, you know? She's like a rock and a best friend. She's someone who looks out for you. And if Danielle dies…I don't have a big sister anymore. But someone needs to be there for Bri and Klarissa too. I couldn't force Klarissa to be the only big sister…she still needs a big sister. One of us has to make it home…I just can't bear the thought of it being me and letting Danielle die."

"Well," Katniss said, "being a big sister, I couldn't imagine loosing Prim. I know where Danielle's coming from. She probably couldn't imagine losing you either." I nodded, a lone tear fall down my cheek. Katniss noticed it, and she opened up her arms and pulled me into a hug. I sobbed against her shoulder as she gently rubbed my back. Eventually, I had no more tears to cry, and she pulled away and wiped the tears from my eyes. "You need to try and get some sleep, kiddo." I nodded as I looked up and saw Danielle walk over to us.

"You ok, Avi?" Danielle asked.

I nodded as Katniss said, "We just had a little pep talk." She smiled at us as she gave me one last hug. "I'll see you girls in the morning," she said as she walked off to her bedroom.

"You ready?" Danielle asked. I nodded as we made our way to our bedroom. We laid back down before Danielle tucked some hair behind my ear. "Once we're in the arena," she began, "I want you to run away from the Cornucopia like Katniss and Haymitch advised. I'll meet back up with you as soon as I can, and we'll team up. We'll stick together the entire time, and everything will be ok. Ok?"

I nodded slowly, processing all that she said. "You promise me you'll come find me?" I asked.

"I promise," Danielle said, wiping away a lone tear that trickled down my cheek. "Everything will be ok. I promise." I nodded as I laid my head on her chest and slowly fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 8: The Games

Chapter 8

The next morning, we were awoken early to get ready for the Games. We had our outfits ready for us to wear. They were similar to what Katniss wore for her games; a black shirt and cargo pants. I dressed and Danielle pulled my hair into a braid as she pulled hers into a bun.

"You look beautiful," Danielle said, her voice strained. I smiled slightly in the mirror as she rubbed my back. "We better go out and say goodbye to everyone." I didn't acknowledge her statement, I simply turned and walked out of the bedroom. There before us stood Haymitch, Effie, Peeta, and Katniss. They gave us sad smiles as we walked out.

"You girls ready?" Haymitch asked as he hugged Danielle, and then me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I muttered, only to be interrupted by a hug from Effie.

"You girls are going to be just fine," Effie said, almost assuring herself of this as much as she was assuring us. She gave our hands small squeezes and a sad smile.

"I love you, Avi," Peeta said as he pulled me into a hug. I squeezed him tightly, knowing that this may be the last time I see him. "Everything will be ok," he said. He gave me a sad look, not able to make himself smile. He turned to Danielle, "I'll escort you out to the hovercraft," he said.

I turned to Danielle and gave her a hug. "I love you so much," I said, my voice straining.

"I love you too," Danielle replied, giving me a slight squeeze. She pulled away and pulled my chin up to where I was looking at her. "I'll see you in the arena, ok?" I nodded as she gave me one last hug before she and Peeta walked off.

Katniss and I had a silent walk out to the hovercraft. She didn't know what to say that had not already been said. Once we were at the landing strip, she looked at me and said, "You got this, Avi." She didn't know what else to say, so she gave me a hug before giving me a small smile. "Go get them, kiddo," she said. I gave her a small smile as I walked off to the hovercraft.

Once on the hovercraft, the tracker was put into my arm. It was a short ride over to the arena. Upon landing, we were led underground to a holding area. I was lead into a small room, and was left alone. A few minutes later, Cinna appeared with a jacket that he put on me. I then hugged him, shaking in fear.

"This is happening," I said shakily. "This is really happening."

"Shh," Cinna said, "it's going to be ok." He pulled away before saying, "I am not allowed to bet. But if I could, I would be betting on you and Danielle. You guys got this."

"TEN SECONDS," said a voice over the intercom. I gave Cinna one last hug before walking into this tube. The tube closed behind me, and I slowly began rising into the arena. I looked out onto an open grassy area in the middle of what appeared to be a forest. I tried to control my shaking as I saw the other tributes around me. I tried to find Danielle, but could not. I felt my heart pounding as I caught sight of a bow and arrow and several backpacks.

I had my eyes set on them as I heard the announcer say, "Let the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" I heard the banging of the seconds tick by as they counted the next ten seconds before show time. I heard the gun shot and I took off from my pedestal. The Hunger Games had begun.

I ran straight toward a backpack and then the bow and arrows. I slung the quiver over my shoulder and the backpack over my other shoulder and ran off. I felt searing pain as I fell and tumbled from the shock of the pain. I clutched my arm with my hand and stood up and ran, thankfully not getting hit again. I ran until I was deep into the woods, only stopping when I could not run any longer.

I looked at my arm. There was a deep laceration in my upper arm. _Probably from a throwing knife_ , I thought as I tried to stop the bleeding. I opened up my backpack to find a rope. I looked up at the tree and climbed up into it, tying myself securely before investigating the other items I had in my pack. I had a canister for water, and a blanket, but that was all in the backpack. I tried to slow down the bleeding in my arm by putting pressure, and it helped some.

Eventually, I came down from the tree, and focused on trying to find food and water. It wasn't easy, but I was successful. However, I had still yet to find Danielle, and it was almost sunset. I prayed that she hadn't been killed.

Later that night, I decided to try and get some sleep. So I climbed another tree and secured myself. Before I could fall asleep, the announcement for the fallen began. I watched anxiously to see if Danielle's face would show in the sky. The younger of the two boys from my district had been killed, but thankfully, Danielle appeared to still be alive. About a third of the tributes had died that day, leaving 29 tributes remaining. I just prayed that I would find her soon. The wound on my arm was worrying me.

I hung out in the trees for the next few days, transferring trees and avoiding other tributes. I would kill any animal I saw walk by, and I made sure my canister stayed full with water. But three days had past, and Danielle had still yet to be found.

But that wasn't my only concern. The wound in my arm had started to become infected. I knew that if it wasn't treated soon, I would die. I needed to find Danielle, and _soon_.


	10. Chapter 9: The Turning Point

Chapter 9

A couple days later, and the infection had gotten worse. I didn't have the strength to climb trees anymore, and it wasn't long before I had lost the strength to hunt. I ended up finding a cluster of tightly grouped trees that I could hid in, and I propped myself up against one, knowing I couldn't run from the other tributes any longer. I was good as dead anyway. There were eleven tributes left, and I thought I would be the next to go.

That's when I heard the most beautiful sound ever. "Aviana?" I heard Danielle yell. It sounded far off, and I almost didn't have the strength to respond. Eventually, I heard footsteps, and I hazily looked up as I heard her say, "Avi?"

"Hey," I said weakly. I felt relief wash over me. I had my sister, even if I wouldn't be around too much longer.

That's when she saw my arm. "What happened?" she asked, worriedly. Then she noticed the bow and arrow and backpack I had. "You went to the Cornucopia, didn't you?"

I nodded weakly. "Someone threw a knife and hit me in the arm," I explained. "Then it got infected, and I had no medicine to treat it."

Danielle glanced around. "It's not safe here," she said. "I have medical supplies in my bag. Let's get you in a secure location, and we'll see about taking care of that arm."

"Danielle," I started, "I don't think-"

"Shh," Danielle said, interrupting me. "You're going to be fine." She scooped me up in her arms, along with my supplies and weapon, and carried me to this cave. I felt the pain shoot through my arm and chest as we walked. She struggled to get me into the cave, but once in there, she laid me down, propping my head up on my backpack after taking the blanket out. She covered me with the blanket as she slowly took my jacket off to get a better view of my arm. I screamed as the jacket came off. "Sorry," she muttered as she poured water over it.

She placed a hand to my forehead. "You're awfully warm," she said as she continued treating my arm. She put some medicine in the wound, and again, I cried out in pain. She gently, but tightly, wrapped a durable gauze around the wound and secured it. "That should help," Danielle said, a worried look still on her face.

"Will it be enough to save me?" I asked.

"I don't know," Danielle said distraught. I saw her blink rapidly a few times before saying, "You need to rest. I'll stay here with you." She laid down next to me, and I laid my head on her chest. Already exhausted, I fell asleep within seconds of hearing her heartbeat. I may have been in the Hunger Games, but I felt safe and secure in Danielle's arms.

I woke up to some slight discomfort as Danielle was checking and changing my bandages. "How's it looking?" I asked groggily.

"It's looking much better," Danielle said relieved. "I think you'll be ok." She gave me a slight smile. "A few days rest does wonders."

"I was out for a few days?" I asked, bewildered. Danielle nodded. I thought for a moment, before asking, "You think then I'll be ok to get out of this cave so we get some food and water?"

Danielle thought for a moment. She gently grabbed my arm, and when I only winced at the pain, she said, "I think you'll be ok." She gave me a smile as she helped me gather my backpack, along with my quiver and bow. We found the river, and decided to set up "camp" there. I shot a rabbit nearby, and we cooked and ate it for dinner.

"How many tributes are left?" I asked.

"Four, including us," she responded. "The sibling boy from One, and oddly enough, the little girl from Six." I nodded as I continued to eat the rabbit. The sun began to set after we finished eating, so we took out the blanket and huddled up for the night.

In the middle of the night, sometime after the announcement for the fallen, we heard a scream before a cannon went off, and we saw the girl from District 6's face in the sky. "I guess that makes three of us," Danielle muttered as I gripped Danielle as tight as my arm would allow. Though I was thankful to still have Danielle, I knew that we were one tribute away from having to make a decision.

I started to sit up and keep a lookout for the last tribute. I didn't want him killing us in our sleep, and the girl's scream sounded too close for comfort. "Go to sleep," Danielle said. I looked at her confused before she added, "I'll keep watch. You need the sleep more than me anyway." I started to protest, but I knew it would be futile. So I reluctantly nodded and laid my head back down, and quickly fell asleep.

Morning came. I awoke with the sunrise, and let Danielle get a little sleep before we moved camp. We knew the other tribute was nearby, and we wanted to move before he found us. A couple hours later, Danielle woke up, and we began packing our supplies so we could move.

I had just slung my quiver over my shoulder and grabbed my bow when I heard a commotion. I turned my head to see the boy from One throwing a spear. I dodged it and shot an arrow, landing a death shot to his chest. He sunk to the ground dead, and his cannon went off. That's when I turned around to see the most horrific sight.

Danielle's eyes shown wide with pain, as she pulled the spear from her stomach. I didn't know much about the medical field, but I did know that this would be fatal if not treated. "Danielle!" I screamed as she fell to the ground, me catching her and breaking her fall.

I tried desperately to stop the bleeding, but Danielle weakly grabbed my hand. "Avi," she struggled to say, "it's no use."

"Don't say that!" I screamed. "You have to be ok!" Tears began to fill my eyes as I watched the color fade from Danielle's skin.

"Avi," Danielle wheezed, "only one person can make it out. We knew that from the beginning, and now that person's going to be you. You need to make it out and be there for Bri and Klarissa."

"No!" I screamed again, my voice straining through my sobs. "I can't lose you!"

"Shh," Danielle said, "I'll be right here until-" She started into a coughing fit, and I sat her up. It wasn't until then that I realized that she was coughing up blood. She grasped my hand and squeezed it in pain, before she said, "Just stay here with me." I didn't argue with her, I just laid my head down on her chest and sobbed, hearing her heartbeat become weaker and slower.

"I love you," Danielle said, now struggling to form words.

"I love you too," I replied, hardly able to make out the words through my tears.

"Make sure Mom, Klarissa, and Bri know that I love them too," Danielle said. Her eyes started to drift close.

"No Danielle!" I screamed and shook her, but it was no use. I didn't see her chest rise or fall. I placed my ear over her chest, and I heard nothing. Then her cannon sounded. Danielle was dead.

I heard the announcement that I was the victor, but I didn't care. I threw myself over Danielle's body and sobbed. I remember when the hovercraft came, and they stripped me away from her. They took me to the Capitol, where I was greeted by Peeta and Katniss. They expressed their sadness, as did Haymitch and Effie, but I had become numb. I hardly remember my interview with Caesar, and the crowning ceremony conducted by President Snow was a blur.

But I definitely remember coming home to Ms. Robin, Klarissa, and Bri. Of course, Bri being so young, she was just happy to see me. But though Ms. Robin and Klarissa were happy to see me, there was that sadness in their eyes. They had lost a daughter and a big sister. Those Games had broken them. But not only that, they had destroyed me. I wasn't the same person that had walked into that arena. I had changed; but not necessarily for the better. I was broken and defeated; the burning hatred I once had for President Snow had become glowing embers now, like the coal in my district. A spark may have happened in the districts, but as for me, I thought I was too broken to continue. But sometimes, it is through brokenness that the greatest movements begin.


	11. Chapter 10: The Change

Chapter 10

Six months had passed since the Third Quarter Quell. In that time, I had moved into the Victors Village; along with Ms. Robin, Klarissa, and Bri. Summer had come and gone, and so had fall. Winter had just begun here in 12. Of course, in that time, Thanksgiving and Christmas had come; two of the only holidays Snow still lets us celebrate. Of course, I am thankful for these, and the time spent with my family. But it feels different. It's not the same without Danielle.

It was the middle of January when the Victory Tour would begin; my Victory Tour. I had dreaded that day since I survived the Games. I had sat on my windowsill all day, simply staring out the window. I heard the door open and I looked up.

Ms. Robin stood in the doorway. She wore a sad smile on her face as she said, "The camera crew and your stylists are going to be here in a couple of hours. Why don't you go over to Haymitch's house? I think Peeta's over there." I gave a slight nod as I stood up, hanging my head and not making eye contact with Ms. Robin. I walked towards the door, but I stopped when I heard a soft, "Hey." I looked up at Ms. Robin as she pulled me into a hug. I let out a sigh, swallowing to keep tears back. I had become so distant, and closed myself off so much, that any sort of emotion was almost foreign to me anymore.

"You know I love you right?" Ms. Robin asked as she stroked my hair.

I nodded. "I love you too, Ms. Robin," I muttered. I felt a soft kiss on top of my head as Ms. Robin pulled away. She gave me a small smile as she moved out of the way for me to walk out of the door.

It had been a while since I had seen Peeta. Though yes, he was somewhat busy with Snow trying to force the wedding to happen, part of it was my fault. I had avoided him, but not just because I had avoided human contact at all. I had slowly begun to stop viewing him as a friend. He had just become a District 12 mentor to me; someone I interacted with only for Capitol and Hunger Games related events. And I hated those events.

I slowly climbed up the stairs that lead to Haymitch's front door. I heard talking inside, so I let myself in. I took of my jacket and scarf as I followed the noise to the kitchen. There, Haymitch sat at the table, while Katniss and Peeta were standing across from each other; all three talking to each other. Katniss, who was facing me, noticed me first, and looked up, signaling for Peeta and Haymitch to turn and look up as well.

Peeta gave a small smile when he saw me. "Long time, no see, Avi," he said. I simply nodded. I didn't want to start any unnecessary conversation with any of them. I hardly wanted to be here, surrounded by these people. I hated this Victory Tour, and it hadn't even begun.

However, I hated how I had begun to treat Peeta. I know he would be the only one to understand some of what I was going through and that I could talk to. But it was hard disassociating him from those Games. The hatred I had towards the Capitol had been replaced by the hatred of the Third Quarter Quell and the events surrounding it. Of course, this meant that I hated President Snow's guts; but as he was a mentor, it also meant, though I didn't realize it, I was slowly learning to hate Peeta too. I was slowly starting to see myself in a place that I hated, but also a place I didn't know how to escape from.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" I was interrupted from my thoughts by Katniss's question. I looked up at her, and though there was sadness in her eyes, you could see the care and compassion light through. I turned away quickly and shook my head. _This whole thing is corrupted_ , I thought. _They are corrupted_.

"Come on now, Aviana," Haymitch said. "We're going all three be on a train together for the next two weeks or so, might as well learn to speak up now. You are going to have to for the cameras anyway."

"I'll save it for the cameras," I muttered.

Haymitch started to say something, and I assume from some subconscious look I gave him, he stopped. He looked up at the clock and said, "Effie and your design team should be here soon. Why don't you head back home and get ready?" I simply nodded as I turned to let myself out, hardly noticing Peeta's distraught face as he started to say something. I almost heard him sigh as I walked out and started towards my house.

I had walked in, and had set my jacket and scarf on the table as I heard Ms. Robin walk into the foyer. She had started to say something when she was interrupted by the door opening.

"Hello! Hello to my little star!" Effie said as she walked in. She hugged me, and I reluctantly hugged her back, as I tried desperately not to sneeze at the feathers on her jacket.

Then Cinna walked in, and I legitimately smiled at him. "Is that a smile I see?" Cinna asked as he came to give me a hug. It was the first legitimate smile I had given anyone in six months. He pulled away and asked, "Are you ready to work?" I nodded as he gave me another smile and we walked down the hall to a dressing room in my house. There I was prepped for the opening debut on Caesar's show, filmed remotely in District 12. After a couple hours of preparing, I was ready, and Effie led me outside my back door to where the cameras were.

"And there she is," I heard Caesar say, "the Burning Ember, Aviana Jennison!" I forced a smile and waved to the camera, as I walked down the stairs to a chair that was set up in the snow. I sat down as Caesar said, "So Aviana, how have you been since the games?"

"Ok," I reply, my go to, almost natural response to that sort of question now.

"Just 'ok'?" Caesar asked concerned. Only then did I realize I was supposed to be happy, like my sister wasn't brutally murdered in some sort of "game".

"Well, considering the circumstances," I said, trying to justify my answer. I swallowed my hatred as I forced out, "But things have been overall so much better for me and my family thanks to the Capitol's generosity."

"Well I'm glad to hear that," Caesar said. "We'll be keeping tabs on you as you continue your Victory Tour. So long for now!" I waved to the cameras as they shut off, then standing up from the chair and brushing off the snow that had fallen on me.

"Excellent everyone!" I heard Effie yell. "I want to leave in ten!" I quickly walked back inside to say goodbye to Ms. Robin, Klarissa, and Bri, before walking with Effie and Cinna back to the train.


	12. Chapter 11: The Fire

Chapter 11

Once on the train, Effie made the way to the dining car. There we were greeted by Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta. Effie quickly explained what the tour would be like; filled with parties, speeches, and glamour celebrating me. _I didn't want this_ , I thought. _I didn't ask for this._ I sat in there for a few minutes longer, staring blankly down at the table. Eventually, I couldn't sit in there any longer, and I made my way to the back of the train and stared out the huge window in the back. This became my new favorite spot over the next few weeks.

The first stop along the tour was District 11. Effie gave me cards to read the speech from, which I greatly appreciated. But once I stepped in front of that microphone, I was awakened to the unrest and rebellion in the district. It became a reoccurring theme throughout the tour, throughout the districts, throughout the people. They wouldn't listen to anything I read off those cards. They knew those weren't my thoughts; they wanted the truth of what I thought and was feeling. I wasn't prepared to share with them my feelings; I hardly knew what they were. But seeing the burning passion and desire they had really got me to examine myself.

With the tour came nightmares. Of course, I had been having nightmares since the games already. But these were more intense, more terrifying. Nightmares I would awake myself from literally shaking, unable to go back to sleep from afterwards.

The first night after my visit to District 11, I remember having a nightmare so intense, I began screaming in my sleep, continuing to scream some even after I woke up. I heard my bedroom door open, looking up and seeing that Katniss had walked in.

"Sorry Katniss," I said, still panting. "I just had a nightmare."

"It's ok, Avi," Katniss said crossing her arms. "I have them too." I nodded, finally catching my breath. I started to lie back down, but I couldn't bring myself to. I was too afraid to go back to sleep.

"Do you need me to stay with you?" Katniss asked. I looked back at her, and nodded slowly. She gave me a small smile and lay down next to me. She let me curl up next to her, as she wrapped an arm around me. Eventually, she gently guided my head to her chest, where I could hear her heartbeat. From that point, it didn't take me long to fall asleep.

The same routine happened several nights during the tour. I would wake up from a nightmare; Katniss would walk in and stay with me the rest of the night, her presence being enough to guide me back into the world of sleep. The nightmares didn't necessarily subside, and occasionally, I would have one even with her there. But I could sleep. And slowly, a true friendship started to form. Though Katniss was only a year older than me, she slowly started to fill the position Danielle had left behind. Katniss was becoming like a best friend and a sister to me. And suddenly, this tour, and even life itself, had become more bearable.

I realized that I needed to talk to Peeta. I needed to apologize to him for how I had treated him since the Games. I knew I needed him and his friendship to recover. But I found it hard to find the right words or the right time.

One day, the day before our visit to District 2, I had visited the back room again, gazing out the window in thought. I don't remember how long I had been in there when I heard the door open. Startled, I jumped and turned around to see Peeta walking towards me.

"Hey Peeta," I say, turning my head to look back out the window. I heard him sitting down on the couch a few feet away. I sighed. I knew I had to apologize now. I took a deep breath before saying, "Look, I'm sorry for how I've treated you since the Games."

"You don't have to apologize," Peeta said. I looked at him confused before he said, "I know you're hurting. The Games destroy people. It's just your way of dealing with things like this. I can't get mad at you for that."

I gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Peeta," I said. Shortly thereafter, Peeta stood up and walked over to hug me, to which I accepted. Everything would be ok. I felt like I could get through this tour, go home, and make it through life; with the help of my family and friends. But that was before I made my speech at District 2.

Districts 1 and 2 didn't have nearly the number of "radicals", as President Snow labels them, as the other districts. But they certainly had some. I was standing at my microphone, giving my speech when I heard a voice call out, "Aviana, you have to stop this!" I looked up and saw a young man standing on top of a box. I made eye contact with him and he continued, "You need to stop lying to yourself! Stop just reading those cards! You know you want change! You know you want a rebellion! You have two very powerful weapons behind you. All you have to do is use them! You can become a symbol, a Mockingjay, for this rebellion! You must stop lying to yourself and take action!" He pressed three fingers to his lips and raised them in the air. I saw peacekeepers making their way through the crowd towards him. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek before he said, "Remember Danielle. Let her memory fuel your fire of hatred towards our government. Remember _your_ Mockingjay." Tears began streaming down my face now, as I watched the peacekeepers kill the young man, another team coming and dragging me and my team away.

But I took to heart what that young man said. He had lit a match and threw it on the embers of hate I had let burn out. But I was scared, and fear threatened to put out the small flame that had begun to burn in my heart. I knew what I wanted, but I knew what it could cost. I didn't know which way to turn.

I kept my routine for my last speech at District 1. I simply didn't know what else to do. But I had overheard talk from many places of the rebellion rising in District 12. I worried that home would become a warzone from what I had heard. But what I wasn't sure of was whether to try and hinder them, or join them.

To sum up the last day of our tour, there was a party at the Presidential Palace that I was required to attend. I remember the dress Cinna had put me in; it was similar to the dress I wore for my tribute interview. I looked like a mockingjay. But wearing that symbol didn't come without the fear. I don't remember most of the party actually; too lost in thought and fear to pay attention to much of anything.

But I do remember what happened at the end of the party. Haymitch had pulled Effie, Katniss, Peeta, and me aside and whispered, "We can't go back to that train."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I just got word from a friend of mine," Haymitch said. "He has some people sending a hovercraft just outside the Capitol borders. We need to start making our way there now."

"Why?" I asked. "What is going on?" But my pleas for answers were ignored as Haymitch and Peeta grabbed my hands and drug me through the Capitol, successfully making it to the waiting hovercraft. We barely had any time to climb in before we took off.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked shortly after we strapped in.

Haymitch sighed. "We're heading to District 13," he began. "Before you ask, yes, it still exists. They rebuilt underground, and now are the rebellion headquarters."

"Why aren't we going back to District 12?" I asked.

Haymitch paused. He again sighed and said, "District 12 has been firebombed. Based on some information 13 gathered, there may be a remnant that got out before the bombing started. But 12 is gone, sweetheart. Anyone who was left behind is dead."

I felt tears prick the back of my eyes. It hadn't set in yet that, if my family wasn't among the remnant, or, for that matter, the remnant didn't exist, they would be dead. I just knew that my home was gone. I took a deep breath and asked, "What about Cinna?"

"The train was ambushed by peacekeepers," Haymitch said. "They would have been waiting for us, that's why we could not go back. But anyone on that train has either been taken into Capitol custody or," he paused before saying, "executed."

Tears began to fall. I looked over at Katniss in disbelief. Cinna? Dead? There's no way Haymitch was right. But I knew he was. I knew the Capitol had just killed one of my closest friends, and possibly my family. But that night, something snapped. Any fear I had about joining this rebellion and becoming its Mockingjay was gone, replaced by a hatred for the Capitol and a determination to see it fall. And there was nothing that was going to stop me now.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, the first story is officially over!** **I hope you guys enjoyed this story!** **Can't wait to get started on AS Mockingjay!**


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